The First Rule Of Survival by Paul Mendelson

Author:Paul Mendelson [Mendelson, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781472111395
Publisher: C & R Crime
Published: 2014-03-20T00:00:00+00:00

PART THREE

‘I still do not understand,’ Don February says, without looking away from the road, ‘why Steinhauer gets forty-eight hours when he could hold the key to this?’

‘Politics. We’re not seen as victimizing him. Nicholas Steinhauer attends his brother’s funeral, is seen mourning, then we take our chance with him.’

De Vries unwraps a chocolate bar, bites into it. He has eaten one for breakfast also; not shopped in over a week.

‘Besides,’ he continues, ‘this gives us time to work up everything else.’

They pull up outside the big house in Rondebosch, push the bell, and are let in. As they walk through the garden, de Vries looks towards the stoep, but there is no sign of Johannes Dyk.

Nancy Maitland meets them, shakes their hands formally.

‘I’m sorry to tell you,’ she announces, ‘but Dr Dyk isn’t well enough to speak with you today.’

‘Why not?’ de Vries says.

‘Johannes is extremely ill. I explained to you last time the nature of his condition. This morning, he told me that he could not speak with anyone, that he was too confused.’

‘I see,’ de Vries says, ‘but not too confused to tell you that.’

She bridles. ‘For you to bully a very sick, elderly man would be immoral.’

‘Who suggested bullying?’

‘You know precisely what I mean. He is not well. That’s all there is to it.’

De Vries says: ‘Did you tell Dr Dyk that we were coming this morning?’

‘Of course. I told him yesterday afternoon after you called. And then I told him again this morning.’

‘And is this when he decided he was too ill to speak to us?’

Nancy Maitland folds her arms.

‘Colonel de Vries, you talk to any doctor, any expert in the field of dementia, and he will tell you that Dr Dyk does not know what he is saying. If he didn’t want to speak with you, perhaps it is because he is afraid that he will mis-speak and you will then misinterpret him.’

‘Mrs Maitland,’ de Vries says, ‘even if Dr Dyk “mis-speaks”, and incriminates himself—’

‘Incriminates?’

‘Even if he were to incriminate himself – which is, I think, what you fear – the SAPS have no time to pursue a man who is, as you say, very sick and elderly.’

‘I do not fear that. I am afraid that you will upset him. That you will frighten him to death.’

They stand facing each other, intransigent.

‘Perhaps,’ Don February suggests, ‘I could see him. I spoke to him last time and Dr Dyk was quite calm.’

‘I’ve made my position clear,’ Nancy Maitland says.

Don exchanges a glance with de Vries. Then he says, ‘Well, madam, you must hold your position here, with Colonel de Vries, but I am going to see Dr Dyk. He does not have to say anything.’

He begins to walk towards the front door. De Vries watches Nancy Maitland watch him go, smiles to himself.

Don pushes open the heavy door, retraces his route to Johannes Dyk’s room. His door is closed, so Don gently turns the large brass handle and goes inside. Dyk is lying on his bed, eyes closed.

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